July 5 - Council, Bath, Thermal Valley, Marae

We had a full day of varied activities.

We started out by meeting with Council member Trevor Maxwell. He is responsible for cultural exchange and tourism. He shared that all of the tribes in New Zealand stem from seven original tribes. Tourism has become a major component of Rotorua's economy. I was very proud of our students. They asked good questions and had good discussions with the councilman.

Then we went to the Blue Bath for a swim.
The water was fed by the springs and was nice and warm. We pretty  much had the pool to ourselves. We also had lunch at the Blue Bath dining room. It was a variety tea sandwiches that were very tasty.

On our way to the Waimangu Volcanic Valley we stopped at Waiotapu geothermal pool which had bubbling mud.  It was so funny to watch the mud spurting up all over the pool.

We hiked through the Waimangu Valley and saw Frying Pan Lake,  Echo Crater and Inferno Crater Lake. It is such beautiful country.

We learned a Maori song to sing during our welcome ceremony at the Marae. We were also treated to traditional song and dance. We slept in the ceremonial room, on mattresses on the floor as one group. It's said we were protected by the ancestors.

Hopefully I'll be able to post pictures when I get to the home stay.